Airflow constrictor valve for automotive cylinder

ABSTRACT

A slightly convex plate ( 1 ) having one or more fixed shafts ( 2 ) on either end so that it can swing back and fourth within an intake port of a cylinder head. The plate also contains one or more counter weights ( 3 ) attached to either side of said plate to keep said plate in a vertical position through the use of gravity when no vacuum is present.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS BACKGROUND

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0003] The automotive industry has always had the belief that largeintake ports on cylinder heads make horsepower at high revolutions perminute (rpm) above approximately 3000 rpm. However, due to their size,these large ports have air flow that is slow at lower rpm, below 3000rpm, making them unusable in daily driving on the street, especiallywhen your automobile spends most of its time below 3000 rpm. This is dueto the fact that when the piston in the engine is moving up and down inthe cylinder, a vacuum is created. This vacuum at 800 rpm idle for mostautomobiles pulls air and fuel from the carburetor or fuel injectionsystem, through the intake port of a cylinder head, down inside thecombustion chamber to be ignited to make power to keep the enginecontinuously working. By varying the size of the intake port, you canchange how much fuel and air the engine can take into the combustionchamber. At high rpm and vacuum, the engine is theoretically limited inits power ability by the size of the intake ports. Large ports havelarge airflow but slow air speed, while small ports have less airflowbut faster air speed. Taking a certain size straw and sucking a milkshake through it can experience this phenomenon. Next, take a largerdiameter straw and repeat the same process. You will find the suction isless on the larger diameter straw and the milkshake moves slower throughthe straw. Basically, larger ports have a lower flow velocity given thesame flow demand. An air column of a given mass at a lower velocity hasless inertia and potential energy possible negating any ram air effect.The ram air effect is critical for obtaining a complete cylinder fillingat low rpm and is just as critical for maximizing volumetric efficiencyat high rpm. Incomplete cylinder filling at low rpm causes an engine tohave poor bottom end power and throttle response. For these reasons,large ports are mainly reserved for racing-type engines only. Theautomotive industry logically uses smaller ports for factory carsbecause smaller ports make a power band more useful to the averagemotorist on the street. This is due to their faster airflow. The speedof the mixture of fuel and air determines how tightly the combustionchamber is packed. The more tightly packed the combustion chamber, themore pressure developed when the mixture is ignited pushing the pistonwith more force for more power. There is no dual-purpose cylinder headavailable, to my knowledge. Until now, it is either large port forracing or small port for the street by placing a constrictor valveinside an intake port approximately one-half to three-quarters of aninch the size of the port. I can make a large port speed up airflow, butas the rpm increases it adjusts by vacuum pulling on it causing it toopen up to a large port size at a specific rpm again, effectively beinga dual purpose cylinder head. You get low rpm throttle response and highrpm horsepower all in one. Basically, a cylinder head that was believedto work only at high rpm can be used at lower rpm also.

SUMMARY

[0004] A device for increasing airflow speed through an inlet port of anautomotive cylinder head.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

[0005] Accordingly, in addition to the aforementioned background, otherobject advantages of my invention are:

[0006] (1) more power capability from virtually any internal combustionengine that uses intake ports such as lawnmowers, gas-powered weedeaters, generators, motorboat engines, etc.

[0007] (2) the use of this constrictor valve could eliminate the needfor more costly and less reliable devices which speed airflow such asturbocharger, superchargers.

DRAWING FIGURES

[0008]FIG. 1 shows a respective view of the valve assembly with all itsparts.

[0009]FIG. 2 shows a valve with the pivot points placed toward thecenter of the valve.

[0010]FIG. 2A shows two valves placed within an intake port.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS

[0011]1 constrictor valve

[0012]2 fixed pivot

[0013]3 counter weight

[0014] Description—FIGS. 1

[0015] A preferred embodiment of the constrictor valve of the presentinvention is illustrated in FIG. 1 perspective view (front). The valvehas a rectangular shape to fit most intake ports of engines, past orpresently produced. However, the valve can be any shape to accommodatethe intake port of any engine. In the preferred embodiment, the valve 1is made of aluminum. However, the valve can be made of other materialsthat can withstand heat and stress of being inside an intake port, i.e.,brass, stainless steel, titanium, etc.

[0016] At either side of the valve 1 there is a pivot point, 2 they areattached 5 mm in diameter and approximately 16 mm in length, the valveis approximately 38 mm wide, 45 mm long (depending on size of intakeport), and 2 mm thick. The outer four comers are rounded off as well asthe bottom of the valve 1 to make the valve more aerodynamic with lessfriction to air and fuel flow.

[0017]FIG. 4—AIternative Embodiment

[0018] There are other possibilities regarding the means ofself-adjustment. FIG. 4 illustrates a constrictor valve using a springin place of a counterweight for returning the valve back to the uprightposition.

[0019] Operation—Figs

[0020] The manner in which the constrictor valve operates is as follows:The valve 1 sits inside an engine intake port, it is held upright by theattached counterweight and gravity, 3 when the engine is started, avacuum is induced inside the intake port. As vacuum increases with theengine rpm, the valve is pulled open more and pivots on the two pivotpoints 2, as vacuum decreases, it returns to upright position onceagain.

[0021] Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope

[0022] Accordingly, the reader will see that the constrictor valve ofthe invention provides a simple means to increase air/fuel flow speed ina cylinder head in an easy and economical way, and especially, whencompared to the other means to speed airflow currently in manufacture,i.e., superchargers, turbo chargers.

[0023] Although the description above contains many specifics, theseshould not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but asmerely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferredembodiments of this invention. For example, the valve can have othershapes such as rectangular, oval, trapezoid, etc.; i.e., the valve couldhave linkage arms or a spring connected to it.

[0024] Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by theappended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examplesgiven.

I claim:
 1. A device for increasing airflow speed through a fuel intakeport of an automotive cylinder head, comprising. a) a plate of rigidmaterial, having sufficient size to fit inside an intake port of acylinder head and having in combination b) a plurality of pivotablyfixed pivot points on either end of said plate and c) a counterweightattached to said plate whereby said plate has means to self adjustinside a fuel intake port of a cylinder head, caused by vacuum changes.2. The device of claim 1 wherein said counterweight has predeterminedweight.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said plate is convex in shape.4. The device of claim 1 wherein said fixed pivot points are of an arbortype.